Interpretive phenomenological analysis of the hospitalization experience in people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia

The hospitalization experience in people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia can be characterized by negative events. A qualitative study based on interpretive phenomenological analysis (AFI) was carried out to understand the experience of hospitalization in a psychiatric clinic. The participants were three users who responded to semi-structured interviews, analyzed through the AFI guidelines. The results indicated three master themes: the person in schizophrenia, experiences prior to hospitalization, and hospitalization as a complex experience. The analysis allows considering the importance of voluntary or involuntary admission in the admission experience, the anguish and uncertainty due to the lack of information and participation in the treatment process, the perception of insecurity within the institutionalization. On the other hand, the rejection of the use of restraint and isolation, the lack of activities, the emphasis on medication, diagnosis, and symptoms, as well as the dehumanized attitude of some mental health professionals. More research is required regarding the efficacy of placement in mental health units and its superiority over other community-based alternatives.